Drawing apparatus for textile spinning and like textile frames



Aug, 29, 1%44. A WALKER 2,357,243

DRAWING APPARATUS FOR TEX'IFILJE SPINNING AND. LIKE TEXTILE FRAMES Filed May 8, 1943 27 M U nventor G1... QM'W QM A ltorney s Patented Aug. 29, 1944 DRAWING APPARATUS FOR TEXTILE SPIN- NING AND LI-KE TEXTILE FRAMES Arthur Walker, Oldham, England Application May 8, 1943, Serial No. 486,144 In Great Britain March 16, 1942 1 Claim.

This invention relates to drawing apparatus as employed in spinning frames, roving frames and other like textile frames for the treatment of fibrous material, and of the type commonly known as high-draft, in which narrow bands, usually of leather, and running around a guide rail or nose-bar are employed as conveyors for roving or the like in the roller stand.

In known constructions, the bands, which are endless, are passed around the second bottom roller of the usual series of top and bottom rollers, for example, three pairs of rollers, and over a guide-rail or nose-bar, so that roving or the like passed between the'sets of top and bottom rollers may be guided from the second pair of rollers to the nip of the front or first pair of rollers. The top rollers are usually weighted. The middle bottom roller is usually formed with a serrated surface but may have any other suitable frictional driving surface and is a driving roller for driving the endless bands, which for convenience will hereinafter be referred to as aprons.

The aforesaid driving roller usually extends in one length from end to end of a spinning or like frame and accommodates a more or less large number of endless aprons according to the number of spindles in the frame. The endless aprons need to be strung on to the driving roller from the ends of said roller when it is lifted out of the frame, as it is a matter of difficulty to joint the two ends of a. band around the driving roller to form an endless band with the degree of accuracy essential. The endless aprons are slid along the driving roller into their respective operative positions. Should an apron break or develop a fault necessitating its removal from the driving roller, it is requisite to stop the machine, unweight the rollers and remove the driving roller to permit a fresh apron to be strung on said driving roller. It is therefore easily understood that the replacement on a driving roller of damaged aprons by fresh aprons is an irksome job entailing considerable loss of production, as the whole of one side of the frame may require to be stopped to permit replacement of one damaged apron. As a measure of alleviation it is sometimes the practice to string a few spare aprons on the driving shaft to obviate necessity for partially dismantling the frame, but this is only a palliative, as it is still necessary to stop all the spindles on one side ofthe frame and thus interfere with production while the fresh apron is being placed in position, unless the spare apron happens to be in such a position that only a few spindles need to be stopped. In some apron systems it is possible to piece an apron around the driving roller, necessitating stoppage of two spindles only for the length of time it takes for the piecing to set. This method, however, does not ensure accurate piecing to be obtained, as the operation of piecing may sometimes be performed by unskilled or semi-skilled labour.

This invention overcomes all the disadvantages mentioned in a novel manner whereby any apron developing a defect may easily be removed from the machine and replaced by a fresh one without disturbance of the others or stoppage of the frame and therefore without undesirable interference with production.

A further advantage is obtained in the accurate guidance of the aprons in their paths of movement which may extend close to the nip of the front top and bottom rollers.

According to the invention the endless aprons, instead of being strung upon the second bottom driving roller as previously described, are strung, preferably in pairs, on aligned rollers which are only long enough to accommodate two aprons. Said rollers, hereinafter for convenience referred to as apron rollers, are journalled in cap bars intermediately of the second top roller and the second bottom roller, the latter of which is journalled lower than heretofore to permit the apron rollers to be mounted in intermediate position, between the top and bottom rollers. Said second bottom roller may, as before, be formed with a serrated surface or may have any other suitable frictional driving surface and remains the driving roller.

The endless aprons, of which there are two to each apron roller, are strung on said roller and trained around a stationary bar, preferably of two spindles length, placed loosely in the nip of the front top and bottom rollers. Guiding means for the endless aprons may be provided on the stationary bar or elsewhere. The upper and lower flights of each apron extending directly from the guide bar to the apron roller, and the upper flight of each apron serves exclusively to convey the fibers from the apron roller to the stationary bar.

The aprons passing around the apron rollers and between said rollers and the second bottom roller are driven by frictional contact with said second bottom roller.

The apron rollers may each have a plain, fluted or knurled surface or may be covered with leather or have any other frictional driving surface. for

example, cork, and may be formed with rims or flanges to position the aprons, and are also weighted.

Should an apron develop a defect, it may be removed by .taking off the {weight from the rollers of the particular'unit with which the apron is associated, lifting the top roller out of the cap bars and then lifting the respective apron roller from its bearings, and also the front stationary bar, whereupon the defective apron may be replaced by a fresh one and the rollers and guide bar replaced in position.

The said operation may be effected while the frame is working, the only section of the frame that is stopped being the two spindles associated with the two aprons on the apron roller which has been removed, thereby reducing interference with production to a minimum.

Some illustrative embodiments of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawing in which the same reference characters indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

Fig. 1 is a side elevation, partly sectional, of a three-line roller arrangement. of the highdraft type constructed according to one form of the invention; Fig. 2 is a front view of an apron roller, aprons, and apron guides shown separate from the roller stand; Fig. 3 is an end view of the guide shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a similar view to Fig. 2 of a modified form of apron roller and guide.

Referring to Fig. 1, ii) is a roller stand of the so-called pillar type mounted on the cross-rail ii of a spinning frame; I2 is the front top roller; i3 is the second top roller and M the back top roller, each journalled in cap bars, one of which is shown at i5 pivotally mounted in the cap bar bracket i5 carried by the roller stand in and adjustable thereon; i1 is the front bottom roller; i8 the second bottom roller; is is the back bottom roller; 20 is the front topclearer and 2] the front under clearer. The front top roller i2 is weighted in known manner; 22 indicating a. weight and 23 one of the hooks by which said weight is suspended from the front top roller l2.

The described arrangement is generally of known form except that the second bottom roller l8 journalled in an adjustable bearing 24 mounted in the roller stand is disposed in a lower position than heretofore.

This lower position permits the mounting of an apron roller 25 intermediate the second top roller I3 and the second bottom roller l8. The

apron roller 25 is journalled in the cap bars I5 below and in parallelism with the second top roller i3. The axis of the apron roller 25 is located rearwardly of a plane extending through the axes of the second top roller I3 and the second bottom roller l8.

In the construction shown in Figs. 1 and 2 the apron roller 25 is formed of two spindles length, as shown in Fig. 2, and has two parts 25a, 25b of larger diameter spaced on opposite sides of a part 250 of smaller diameter, the spacing of the parts 25a, 251) being dependent on the spacing of the spindles with which the apparatus is to be used. A pair of endless aprons 2B is strung on the apron roller, one around each part 25a, 25b, said aprons also being trained around a stationary guide bar 21 placed loosely in the cap bars i5 with its forwardedge close to the nip of the front top and bottom rollers, i2 and I1, respectively.

The guide bar 21 is furnished with pins 28 projecting from'its underside, one on either side of each apron, see Fig. 2, which serve to guide the apron in its appointed path of movement. Alternatively, each apron roller may be formed with rims or flanges 2511, see Fig. 5, to position the respective aprons 26. 1

The aprons 26 passing around the apron roller 25 and between said roller and the second bottom roller l8 are driven by contact with said second bottom roller; each apron bearing on more than one-half of the periphery of the apron roller.

A presser roller 28 loosely mounted in the cap bars l5 and pressing on the aprons 26 serves to guide the roving or the like between the nip of the rollers I2 and ii.

The parts 25a, 25b of the apron roller 25 may be superficially plain, fluted or knurled, or may be surfaced with leather or other frictional driving medium. For example, cork is found to provide a very effective surface.

In the apparatus shown in Fig. 1 weighting is applied to the apron roller 25 through the medium of a saddle 23a forming an extension of the weighting hook 23, said weighting serving to keep the apron roller in correct tension.

Should an apron 25 develop a defect, it may be removed by taking off the weight from the particular unit with which the apron is associated, lifting the second top roller i3 out of the cap bars i5, then lifting the apron roller 25 from its bearings, and also the front stationary bar 21, whereupon the defective apron may be replaced by a fresh one and the rollers 25, i3 and guide bar 2'! replaced in position.

The removal of said apron roller may be effected while the frame is working, the only section of the frame that is stopped being the two spindles associated with the two aprons on the apron roller which has been removed.

It will therefore be seen that there is only a minimum of interference with production instead o the wholesale interference usually associated with change of an apron.

An advantageous feature of the present invention is the absence of cradles, tension devices and other features which are undesirable from the point of view of cleanliness as they afford surfaces for the accumulation of fly but are yet necessary to enable the systems with which they are used to work.

It is well-known that operatives have an objection to working systems which are complicated with the above mentioned parts, and as the present invention dispenses with such parts it will be seen that the work of an operative will be facilitated.

What is claimed is:

Drawing apparatus of the high-draft" type for textile spinning and like frames comprising roller stands, cap-brackets carried by said stands, cap bars pivotallymounted in said brackets, a first,second and third top roller and weighted apron rollers journalled in said cap bars, a first, second and third bottom roller journalled in parallelism with said top rollers, a stationary guide-bar placed loosely in said cap bars with its forward edge close to the nip of the first top roller and the first bottom roller, said apron rollers being joumalled intermediately of said second top roller and said second bottom roller, the axes of said apron rollers being located rearwardly of a plane extending through the axes of said second top roller and said second bottom mamas i 3 roller, said apron rollers comprising aligned roller members each of short length, two aprons trained around each apron roller member and said guide bar, said aprons being driven by frictional contact by their outer sides with said second bottom roller, saidaprons bearing on said apronrollers over more than one-half of their peripheries, both flights of each apron extendin: directly from said guide bar to the respective apron roller member, the upper flights of said aprons serving exclusively to convey fibres to the nip of said front top and bottom rollers, each apron roller member being removable without stoppageof the frame or disturbance of adjoining roller members.

' ARTHUR WALKER. 

